Complicated
by NCISVU
Summary: Tony put Adam Shelton in prison years ago but he's out now and he wants revenge. Years of research in prison led him straight to Tony's family—a family Tony doesn't have a clue exists. A heartless killer. A guilt-ridden investigator. A complicated case. Tibbs Slash.


**Warning: **Mentions of torture of an adult but nothing terribly graphic**  
Author's Notes: **Written for kaylashay's 'unknown child' prompt for the ncis_ficathon on livejournal.

* * *

**Complicated**

_Sometimes being strong is the only choice you've got._

The blare of sirens interrupted the normal hustle and bustle of downtown DC on the sunny, autumn morning. A silver Jeep Wrangler tore through the streets of the Navy Yard with no consideration of the consequences and no regard for human safety. Behind it was an NCIS sedan and two Military Police cruisers. Somewhere in front of it were more NCIS cars, trying to cut the Jeep off and put an end to the chase before anyone got hurt.

Tony grabbed onto the handle above the car door as Gibbs rounded a corner going entirely too fast. The squealing tires and fishtailing back end pushed his stomach into his throat and made him wonder if he was going to be able to keep his breakfast down.

"Hang on," Gibbs growled two seconds too late.

Just as Tony got his stomach under control, a truck backed out in front of them, panicked when he saw the barrage of flashing lights coming at him and froze. "Boss, watch out!" Tony yelled, bracing for impact.

"Son of a bitch!" Gibbs laid on the horn and swerved around the SUV without even flinching.

Normally they wouldn't have engaged in such a dangerous high speed chase on a the busy streets of the Navy Yard during the day but they'd caught their suspect fleeing from the scene. While Tim and Dorneget checked out the disturbance call, Gibbs and Tony chased their suspect.

"This guy's gonna kill somebody!" Tony said, watching the Jeep swerve all over the road.

"Call dispatch," Gibbs said, "have 'em run his plate."

Tony made the call while Gibbs focused on the chase. After nearly losing him on one of the main arteries of the base, they followed him past a crowded Dunkin' Donuts and swerved onto a one way street going the wrong way. Tony looked up just in time to see a delivery truck headed straight for them and let out an embarrassingly high pitched squeal.

Gibbs passed the truck on the narrow shoulder of the road and caught up with their suspect as he swerved onto a side street, this time going in the right direction. "Dispatch give you anything?"

"The car's a rental," Tony said. "It was stolen from the Enterprise lot on Vermont Avenue in the middle of the night. They're pulling the security footage and sending it to Abby."

Gibbs' eyes grew wide as their suspect started accelerating too fast for the short stretch of road they were on. There was no way he'd be able to turn off at the speed he was going without rolling the Jeep. He barreled through the parking lot at the end of the street, still pushing his engine for every last bit of power it would give him.

"Where the hell does he think he's go—holy shit!" Tony watched as the Jeept barreled through the fence protecting the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and took out a lamp post before plunging into the river.

Gibbs slammed on the brakes, got out of the car and raced to the Riverwalk with Tony right beside him. From the looks of it, their suspect was unconscious as his vehicle slipped below the surface of the water and was carried downstream by the current.

"I've got divers en route, Agent Gibbs," one of the MPs said. "It's too dangerous for any of us to go in after him."

"Coast Guard's headed our way too," Tony said.

"I want any men you can spare patrolling the along the river in case he survived," Gibbs told one of the MPs.

"You got it."

"Jethro," Balboa said, pulling on his NCIS jacket as he approached, "what's going on? I was having coffee up the street." He nodded a greeting to Tony as the agent stepped away to answer his ringing cell phone.

"Got a disturbance call, arrived on scene and all hell broke loose." Technically Gibbs' team was supposed to be taking it easy which was why they'd been sent to check out the disturbance but it was looking like they may have caught a case after all, which didn't bother any of them in the least. Vance probably wouldn't be happy but Gibbs would fight to keep it if he had to.

"McGee and Dorney have something at the house, Boss," Tony said.

"Something?" Gibbs asked.

"A body," Tony clarified. "Looks like she was tortured."

"Go, Jethro," Balboa said. "I'll take over here. Call you if anything happens."

Gibbs hated to leave but knew he was needed more at the hotel. He wasn't overly concerned about leaving Balboa at the river to oversee things. Balboa was one of the few people Gibbs would trust with a scene like that. The others would be at the house with him. "I don't want this bastard presumed dead," he said firmly. "Until his lifeless body is pulled out of the river, we act as if he's alive and dangerous."

* * *

Tim hadn't felt the need to step away from a crime scene for some fresh air since his days as a probationary agent but the scene inside the small hotel room was like nothing he'd ever seen before. The smell of vomit had his stomach revolting and there was no escaping the blood painted across the walls and pooled on the floor. He could barely even look at the beaten and broken body lying lifelessly on the kitchen floor. The sound of Gibbs and Tony's car pulling up outside was a welcome excuse for a break.

"Lookin' a little green there, McQueasy," Tony teased when he saw Tim walking towards the car.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs warned. "Bloodbath, McGee?"

"Bloodbath is an understatement, Boss."

"Who's the victim?" Tony asked as they headed towards the hotel room, now sporting their black field investigator jackets.

"Thirty year old Heather McHale," Tim answered.

Tony stopped dead in his tracks causing Tim to walk right into him.

Gibbs turned around when he heard the 'oof' and immediately knew something was wrong. "What?"

"I think I know her," Tony said, his voice breaking slightly.

Gibbs turned and moved closer to Tony. "How?"

"College," Tony answered. "If it's the same person we were sweethearts. She was the closest thing there ever was to being _the one _for me." He looked up at Gibbs and the shocked expression turned to a charming smile. "Until you, of course."

Gibbs was unfazed by Tony's attempt to sway him with his charm. He wasn't speaking to his lover, he was speaking to his senior field agent and he needed to make sure Tony wasn't too close to their victim to work the case. He wouldn't allow a criminal to walk free over a mistake he could avoid and as both Tony's lover and his boss, it was his job to watch out for the man's mental and emotional well-being. "Do I need to pull you from this case?" he asked in a low, gruff voice.

"No, Boss," Tony answered seriously. "That was almost a decade ago. I can handle this."

"If I think you're slipping—"

"You'll send me home," Tony finished for him.

Gibbs nodded before turning and starting to walk towards the room again.

"Boss, wait," Tim said. "There's more."

Gibbs turned and waited for Tim to fill them in on whatever else he had to tell them.

"Heather has an eight year old son," Tim said hesitantly. "He was locked in the pantry when we got here. I think he saw everything through the slats in the door."

Gibbs' schooled expression hid the devastation he felt. He gave a slight nod before turning around and stepping into the crime scene.

The claw marks in the walls leading from the front door to the kitchen told the story of someone who had fought hard for their life. The agents headed into the kitchen where Ducky and Jimmy were already tending to the body. McGee had been right. Bloodbath was an understatement and to say she'd been tortured didn't even scratch the surface of the woman's last moments.

"What've we got, Duck?" Gibbs asked while Tony stared at the barely recognizable body.

"A mess, Jethro," Ducky answered. "All I can tell you right now is that time of death was about an hour ago and that she was tortured, as you can see. Mr. Palmer and I are going to need some with her time before we can tell you any more."

"Work as fast as you can," Gibbs said. He turned and looked over at Tony who hadn't said anything since they'd entered. "That her?" he asked softly.

Tony nodded as he stared at his former sweetheart. "Far as I can tell." Gibbs' hand squeezing his shoulder helped ground him but he had to get out of there. He had to escape. He needed a moment to pull himself together before he got started with his part of the investigation. "I'm gonna go get the gear outta the truck."

"Tony, I already got—"

"McGee," Gibbs interrupted, watching as Tony left. "Give him a minute."

"Boss, I know how you feel about coincidences but Tony knowing her has to be a coincidence, right?" Tim asked.

Gibbs gave an imperceptible tilt of his head in response. "What do we know about her?"

"Heather McHale moved here with her eight year old son, Cayden, last month from Ohio," Tim said, glancing at the information on his phone to be sure he was getting the facts straight. "There's no dad. She's a second grade teacher at Garrison Elementary where Cayden's attending the third grade. I haven't found any connection to the Navy so far; no family or friends. They're currently living in the Adams Morgan Suites so I don't know what they're doing in a hotel on a Navy base."

"What'd she do in Ohio?" Gibbs asked.

"Same," Tim answered. "She taught second grade. I can't imagine a second grade teacher having any enemies that would do this to them."

"Who would want her dead?" Jimmy asked.

"That's what we're here to find out, Mr. Palmer," Ducky answered.

"Where's the boy?" Gibbs asked.

"Cayden's out back with Dorneget," Tim answered.

"Keep processing," Gibbs said, "and talk to the manager. I wanna know why she rented this room and for how long. I'll send Dorneget in to help you."

"On it."

"And send Tony out back when he comes inside," Gibbs called over his shoulder as he put his hat on.

* * *

Out front, Tony was sitting on the bumper of the truck with his head hanging in his hands. Heather hadn't just been a fling. He'd really loved her and he still didn't have a clue why she'd walked away from him all those years ago. He'd given her all of himself. He'd been sure they would end up married with a couple kids and a nice house in the suburbs, a minivan and a busy schedule filled with sports practices and ballet lessons.

That had all changed one day out of the blue. She'd told him she loved him but she had to go and kissed his cheek before walking out the door and out of his life, leaving him stunned.

"Why, Heather?" Tony whispered. "What happened between us?"

While he tried to work through feelings and emotions that hadn't surfaced in nearly a decade, another thought hit him. He sat up straight and his eyes widened as he thought it through. He peeked around the corner of the van, scanning the crowd of onlookers for anyone that looked out of place but the few people who had gathered appeared to be the average looky-loos. That didn't necessarily mean anything though.

"So help me God, if someone's framed me for murder again..." he said through gritted teeth.

* * *

Cayden was desperately trying not to look as scared as he felt while sitting at the small table on the back patio with a pencil in one hand and his sketch pad laid out in front of him but there were so many questions whirring around in his mind and he was getting more and more upset with each minute that passed. Where was he going to go now? And who would take care of him? He didn't know anyone in DC.

Maybe his mom wasn't really dead. Maybe his mind had just gone to the worst case scenario. She was probably still alive and the room was full of people who could help her. She would be okay. She had to! She was all he had. He glanced over at the tall, gangly agent standing to his left. He could ask him but the guy looked kind of sick. He'd been outside the whole time, anyways. He probably didn't know what was going on inside either.

It wasn't long before the patio door slid open and another agent stepped out. "McGee needs you inside, Dorneget," the man said.

He pulled out the chair next to Cayden and sat down, tossing his hat onto the table as he did. A quick peek at him gave Cayden the impression that this was the guy he could get some answers out of.

"Who are you?" he asked in a voice so quiet Gibbs had to strain to hear it.

"Jethro Gibbs, I'm a Navy cop." He ran his hand through his hair, smoothing any unruly strands.

"My Mom's not in the Navy."

"I know," Gibbs said with a gentle smile, "but you guys are on a Navy base and it's my job to figure out why."

"And that'll help you solve the case?" Cayden asked.

"Yep," Gibbs answered. "How'd you know?"

"Sometimes at night, when my mom takes a bubble bath, I sneak and watch _Cops _or _America's Most Wanted_. I'm gonna be a cop when I grow up but not a Navy one. Just a regular one."

"Sounds like you've got it all planned out, kiddo," Gibbs said.

Cayden nibbled at his lip for a moment before looking up at Gibbs. "Is my mom gonna be okay?" he asked. The look on the agent's face and the brief hesitation gave him his answer but he still held out hope.

"I'm sorry, Cayden—"

"No."

"Your mom put up a good fight—"

"NO."

"But she didn't—"

"No! NO! Don't say it! Don't tell me! Please. Please. Say she'll be okay. She wouldn't leave me. She wouldn't!"

The boy's anger turned to sobbing half way through his outburst; his anger and fear manifesting in tears. Gibbs tugged the child into a tight embrace and held him , running his hand soothingly up and down the boy's back while Cayden clung to him for dear life.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Gibbs whispered into Cayden's hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head and hugged him even tighter.

"Are you gonna catch the bad guy?" Cayden asked through his tears.

"I'm gonna do everything I can" Gibbs answered, "but I might need a little help. Do you think you can help me?"

"How?"

"Can you tell me why you and your mom came to the Navy Yard?"

"'cause the man brought us here," Cayden answered.

"What man, Cayden?"

Cayden did his best to calm his tears and catch his breath. He sat up and wiped at the tears in his eyes before ripping out the page in his sketch book that he'd been working on. "Him," he said.

Gibbs took the sketch and looked it over. It was incredibly detailed for an eight year old. The man in the sketch looked like he was going bald and he was missing one of his front teeth. He also had a scar on his chin. "How did the man get you here?"

"Mom was putting her school things in the trunk and he hit her on the head with something and he put duct tape on her mouth and her arms and legs and he put her in his trunk and covered her with a blanket. I tried to stop him but he pushed me and I hit my head on the car parked next to ours. I hit it kinda hard and I got a little dizzy. I'm sorry."

"Ya got nothin' to be sorry for, bud," Gibbs said, wiping the last of Cayden's tears from his cheeks. "Everybody here knows that and your mom knows it too. Did he put you in the trunk too?"

"No. I was in the backseat. He told the man at the gate that I was his son and we were going to the museum and he told me if I didn't play along he would kill my mom. I shoulda known he was lying to me! They always lie. I shoulda said something. I shoulda told someone or screamed or ran away or something!"

"Easy," Gibbs cooed when the boy started getting worked up again. "You couldn't have known, Cayden. You did everything right."

"But my mom is still dead. I couldn't save her."

Gibbs pulled Cayden into his chest as the tears started again. "I'm sorry, kiddo," he whispered as he stroked the boy's hair. He could feel the knot on his head and made a mental note to have Ducky check it out.

Tony tapped against the glass of the patio door and Gibbs waved him out. "You wanted to see me?"

"I'm sending you back to headquarters," Gibbs said.

"Don't take me outta the field, Boss," Tony begged. "I can handle this."

"I'm not grounding you. Right now I need you to handle things from NCIS," Gibbs said. His voice was gentle but it left no room for argument. "I want security footage of the Jeep driving onto the Navy Yard this morning, I want everything you can find on Heather and I want you and Cayden to put your heads together and see if you can add a little detail to this sketch."

"On it, Boss," Tony grumbled, making sure Gibbs knew he wasn't happy with his assignment.

"Cayden, I'm gonna send you with Tony. He's gonna take real good care of you and I'll see you again real soon."

Cayden didn't even want to move, let alone leave the safety of Gibbs' protective embrace but he also didn't want to look like a wimp or a crybaby. Helping the agents catch the bad guy would make his mom proud. He wiped his tears and when he looked up at the agent standing over them his mouth dropped open in shock. "Daddy?"

Tony huffed out an awkward laugh and looked from the child to Gibbs and then back at the child. "Are you talking to me?"

"Um," Cayden knew it was impolite to stare but he couldn't help himself. He'd seen Tony's face before. He knew it was his dad but after everything else that had happened, maybe he'd just mixed that up too. Maybe Tony only looked similar to his dad and he'd gotten it all confused. "Never mind. I—I think I got confused."

Gibbs looked from Tony to Cayden with narrowed eyes and a turning gut. Why would Cayden think Tony was his dad? They were only a little over an hour into this case and the coincidences were piling up. He didn't like it one bit. Tony's former sweetheart, a civilian, had been killed on a Navy base in Tony's jurisdiction and now the kid thought Tony was his father. Something more than a wild police chase and a brutal murder was going on and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"We've done everything we can here, Jethro," Ducky said. "Mr. Palmer and I are going to head back to the... well... we're already on the Navy Yard, aren't we?"

"Can you take a look at Cayden's head first, Duck?" Gibbs asked. "He's got a pretty big bump."

"Certainly."

Gibbs stood and let Ducky take his chair after making the introductions.

While Cayden told the doctor about bumping his head on the car and getting dizzy, Tony stared at the boy, searching for any resemblance between them. "What's going on here, Boss?" he asked under his breath. "Was Heather killed to get to me? Considering our past and where we are that seems like a likely scenario but it also doesn't make any sense. We broke up like, I don't know, a decade ago."

"How long, exactly?" Gibbs asked. He hadn't planned on bringing it up yet but the decade remark seemed like a good segue, considering Cayden's age. Although it did happen, people didn't usually break up with one person to immediately get pregnant by another.

Tony thought back, wracking his brain to put a date with the end of their romance. "I think it's been about nine years," he answered. "That's my best guess."

"Tony, look at me," Gibbs said trying to catch his Second's eye. "Is there _any_ way Cayden could be yours?"

"What? No!"

"Think about it."

"Uh." The pained expression on Tony's face only deepened as he considered what Gibbs was suggesting. "I—I guess if Heather um... she coulda chosen my sperm sample or something," Tony said with an awkward shrug of his shoulders. "That would be one hell of a coincidence though and we don't believe in those around here. Boss, you don't think... I mean, there's no way... right?"

"Did you two have sex?"

"Yeah, but..." his voice dropped down to a whisper, "I don't have a kid, right?"

"I don't know," Gibbs said, "but we need to find out." Gibbs knew how protective parents were over their children. Their suspect could've made the connection between Cayden and Tony, not knowing that Tony didn't know he had a child. Of course Cayden could've seen an innocent old picture of his mom with Tony together and just assumed it was his father. It was going to take some digging to get to the truth.

"I'll get him an ice pack out of my truck, Jethro," Ducky said. "It doesn't appear to be anything to be alarmed about but someone should keep an eye on him."

"Can you handle that, Tony, or do you want me to keep him with me?" Gibbs asked. He wouldn't have asked if Cayden hadn't called him dad moments ago.

"I can handle it," Tony scoffed, suddenly feeling defensive. If he had a kid he damn well wasn't going to pawn him off on someone else—even if that someone was his lover.

"Alright. Cayden, you're gonna go with Tony. He's gonna show you around headquarters, get you some creds, stuff like that. You guys are gonna be partners for awhile. Okay?"

"'kay."

"Good boy."

"Boss," Tony said, "how old did McGee say Cayden was again?"

"Eight," Gibbs answered before heading inside.

* * *

Inside the house, Tim and Dorneget were busy processing the crime scene. Gibbs studied the scene as he photographed it, learning everything he could from the blood spatter and broken appliances, holes in the walls and busted kitchen cabinets. Heather was strong and had fought for her life but she was no match for the man that had taken her and her young son.

"This was a brutal attack," Tim said, collecting the teeth from a puddle of blood on the floor. "When we got here there was a chair jammed up under the doorknob of the pantry door. Cayden was curled into a ball under the bottom shelf."

"Anything that might tell us who our suspect is?" Gibbs asked.

"No, but I did find something I think you should see," Tim replied."The killer left a note." He handed Gibbs an evidence bag with the tattered and stained piece of paper inside.

_I told you I'd be back and here I am. You took my family away from me, I take yours away from you—as promised. How's it feel, DiNozzo?_

"What do you think it means?" Tim asked when Gibbs had finished reading.

"Nothing good," Gibbs answered.

* * *

Cayden sat slouched down in the oversized comfortable desk chair next to Tony in the lab. The soft blue color of the walls brought a sense of peace and calm to both of them and if Tony's nose wasn't mistaken there was a hint of a pleasant aroma in the air. Maybe Abby was burning incense. She'd been into stuff like that for as long as Tony had known her.

They'd already toured the building and Cayden had been welcomed by the director himself. They'd visited human resources where Cayden had received his creds. Sure, the badge was plastic but Tony had swiped a genuine leather holder for it and the nice lady in HR had printed him up a very authentic looking Junior Agent ID card, complete with his picture. Abby had given them a tour of her lab—Abbyville, she'd called it, and swabbed the inside of Cayden's mouth to show him how DNA worked but she'd been called away to the evidence garage to sign for the Jeep that had been pulled from the Potomac.

Now they were waiting for her to get back so they could tweak the drawing he'd given Agent Gibbs earlier but he wasn't thinking about the drawing. He was thinking about Tony. Was Tony his dad or did he just look like his dad? Was Tony upset that he'd called him daddy earlier that morning? He didn't seem upset at the moment but he'd looked really surprised back at the hotel.

"You alright?" Tony asked.

"Yeah."

"Thinkin' about your mom?"

Cayden's mind drifted back to the tiny pantry he'd been locked in. He could still hear his mother screaming and see the man beating her but he'd been too scared to move and hadn't even tried to save her. He'd failed her big time and now she was gone forever.

"Cayden," Tony said gently, when he realized the boy's eyes had glazed over and his mind was far away from his body.

"Huh?"

"Whatcha thinkin' about, buddy?" Tony asked.

Cayden blinked his eyes, pushing the sounds of his mother's screams from his mind. His eyes landed on the badge in his hand and he smiled up at Tony. "I really like this," he said, running his finger over the words on his new ID card. If his mother hadn't just lost her life he'd be running around shouting for joy and showing anyone who would take two seconds to look.

"It's pretty cool, huh?" Tony watched as the boy fidgeted nervously. "Hey, Cayden, why um—why'd you call me daddy at the hotel? Why'd you think I was your dad?"

Cayden toyed with the stitching in the leather and kept his eyes in his lap. "I never met my dad," he said quietly, "but Mom gave me a picture once." He paused and looked up at Tony. "The guy in the—in the picture, he kinda looked like you and Mom said we were moving here to meet him so I just thought... I—I don't know. It was stupid."

"Do you still have the picture?" Tony asked.

Cayden dug his Snoopy wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a tattered photograph. After looking at it for a moment he handed it over to Tony. Tony took the picture and hesitated before looking down at it. The young man staring back at him in the Buckeye football jersey with his beautiful girlfriend hanging on his arm was in fact him. He closed his eyes in disbelief. Could this really be happening?

"He kinda looks like you," Cayden said hesitantly.

"That is me, Cayden," Tony said. His mind was suddenly racing with questions of how this had happened and why Heather hadn't told him about his son. Did her being in DC have something to do with him? Why was she lying dead in a hotel room not far from his current location? It couldn't be by chance that her son—_their son _was sitting in front of him. Despite the confusion, Heather walking out on him was starting to make sense. "Your mother never told me she was pregnant."

"So you are my dad?" Cayden asked.

"Abby's running some tests but it's lookin' that way, isn't it?"

"I always wanted to meet you," Cayden said hopefully.

Staring into Cayden's eyes took Tony back to his childhood and all the time's he'd looked up at his father with the same hopeful expression. He smiled at the boy and patted his shoulder. Cayden let himself relax and smiled back.

"What'd your mom say about me?"

"She said she always had a lot of fun with you and that you were a great guy but you weren't ready to be a dad yet."

Tony opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but he didn't. "That was a long time ago but she was probably right. Your mom knew me better than I knew myself. I'd like to think I would've stepped up and been a good dad but I'm sure she was just trying to protect you."

"We moved here to see you," Cayden said. "Mom wanted to see what you were like now and part of the reason mighta been because I begged and begged to meet you. If I didn't beg then maybe we wouldn't have come and then she would still be alive. I think it's my fault she's dead."

"It's not your fault, Cayden," Tony said. "I promise you, it's not. I'm really sorry about what happened to her. She was a great lady, wasn't she?"

Cayden wiped at the building moisture in the corner of his eye. "She was the best."

Tony smiled sadly at his son. "We'll have to swap stories about her sometime."

"Yeah," Cayden agreed.

"What do you think about giving me a chance to be your dad—a real dad?"

"I think I'd like that a lot. I just wish Mom could be here too."

"That makes two of us, buddy."

Just when the tears threatened to overflow again, the bubbly goth returned to lab with a bounce in her step and a cheerful greeting. "Did you guys miss me?" she asked.

"Always," Tony answered.

"Lots of evidence today," Abby said apologetically.

"And there's more coming," Tony added.

"In cases like this I'd much rather have a lot of evidence than not enough," Abby said.

"Evidence helps you catch the bad guys," Cayden said.

"Sure does," Abby said. "Speaking of evidence, would you mind if I swabbed your sweatshirt and your pants?"

"I'll do anything to help," Cayden said.

Tony and Abby helped Cayden get his hoodie off then Abby swabbed his pants for trace evidence while they talked about the new Disney movie that was coming out. The conversation came easier than Cayden expected. He felt comfortable in the uniquely decorated lab with Tony and Abby and let himself relax.

* * *

By the time Gibbs, McGee and Dorneget arrived back at NCIS, Abby had helped Tony and Cayden create another sketch of the suspect, this one on the computer. Both the picture Cayden had drawn and the composite they'd worked on together were hanging side by side on the bulletin board in the squad room.

Gibbs admired both sketches side-by-side and nodded approvingly. "Nice work, buddy."

"We distributed the sketch all over, Boss," Tony said. "We also found video of our suspect coming onto base this morning which Abby is currently working on enhancing and I'm looking for anything suspicious in Heather's financial, phone and work records but so far there's nothing."

"Okay, stop," Gibbs said.

"Stop?"

"You are now a witness in this case."

"I was with you all morning, Boss," Tony said. "I didn't witness anything."

"I know," Gibbs said. "We'll talk more in a minute." His eyes shot to Cayden, hoping Tony would understand that he didn't want to say anything in front of the boy. He winked at the child before turning back to an increasingly agitated Tony.

"Will you at least tell me what you guys found?"

Gibbs glanced at Tim and nodded for him to fill Tony in while he knelt down and admired Cayden's creds.

"We pulled the Jeep from the river," Tim replied. "It should be in the evidence garage by now. The diver's haven't found a body yet. The lock on the door of the hotel was picked. No one rented that room and there was nothing suspicious at the house—their real house. It doesn't look like our suspect ever went inside."

"He didn't," Cayden offered helpfully.

"And the crime scene points to a personal attack."

"Cayden, do you wanna help Agent McGee and Agent Dorneget take some of this stuff down to the lab?" Gibbs asked. It was mainly memory cards from their cameras and measurements from the scene; nothing that would upset the boy but Gibbs needed a moment alone with Tony.

"Okay," Cayden agreed.

"Thanks, buddy. DiNozzo, you're with me."

Tony rolled his eyes and huffed his displeasure as he followed Gibbs towards the break room. He didn't like being kept in the dark about a case, especially one that seemed to revolve around him. Once they were alone, Tony busied himself making a cup of sub-par coffee while Gibbs watched.

"Abby's running my DNA against Cayden's," Tony said, "but it looks like he really is mine. His mom gave him a picture of his dad—a picture of me. The timeline matches up, Jethro. I think I have a kid."

Gibbs smiled softly at his lover. He'd already come to that conclusion. "Looks like we're gonna be fixing up the guest room."

"You're not mad?" Tony asked. He was trying not to act too relieved but he hadn't been sure how Gibbs was going to react. Sure, the man had a special way with kids but that didn't mean he wanted to raise another one—not after what had happened to his daughter.

"Nothin' to be mad about," Gibbs replied. He moved over next to Tony and wrapped his arm around the man.

Tony melted into the half embrace, soaking up all the strength he could from his lover. "Please don't shut me out of this case, Jethro."

"I'm not shutting you out," Gibbs said, "but I was serious about the witness thing." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the handwritten note he'd found on Heather's desk with the bills and some junk mail. "I found this at the house."

Tony took it, opened the envelope and pulled the letter out.

_My dear Tony,_

_How are you? I can't even begin to tell you how much I've missed you or how often I think about you. They say you never get over your first love and I've found a lot of truth in that. The memories of you I have in my heart are something I'll always hold dear, no matter what._

_There really isn't any way to sugarcoat this so I'm just going to come right out and tell you. The reason I broke it off with you all those years ago was because I was pregnant. You have a son, Tony. His name is Cayden and he's great. He reminds me so much of you—his smile, his eyes, his sense of humor, his determination, his big heart... I could go on all day._

_Looking back I realize I did this whole thing wrong. I should've been honest with you instead of pushing you away and hiding. If I had it to do over again, I would've given you a chance to make your own decisions. All I can do at this point is say I'm sorry and try to fix things. I know it won't take away the sting of what I've done and I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to speak to me again but I had to try to reach out. I had to come clean with you, something I should've done a long time ago. _

_I'd like to see you again, Tony. If you're willing, I really feel like we need to talk. I'm not far away so take your time and if and when you're ready, please call me. My cell is 614-291-1121._

_With much love,_

_Heather_

Tony stared at the letter for a long time after he'd finished reading it. He had his answer about why Heather had broken up with him but he wasn't sure if he should be upset or angry, sad or okay about the whole thing. Considering the situation, it was hard not to forgive her but what right did she have to hide his son from him. "I feel like I just got punched in the gut," he finally said, handing the letter back to Gibbs.

"Keep it," Gibbs said, "it's yours. Anything I can do?"

"I don't know," Tony answered. "I uh, I'm kinda lost here, Jethro. I don't know what to think or do or how to feel. I just don't know."

"You're not alone, Tony. We'll figure it all out together."

"Today's been overwhelming and I don't even know where to start and to complicate it even more, I'm a dad. I have a kid. _We _have a kid, Jethro."

Gibbs smiled and pulled Tony into a hug. "Welcome to parenthood."

"Does it get better?"

"Oh yeah." Gibbs pulled back from the hug his smile disappeared. "There's something else I need to show you, Tony."

"I'm sensing some hesitation," Tony said, taking a cautious sip of his drink. "Whatever it is I'm pretty sure it couldn't be any more overwhelming that than the letter I just read."

"You're sensing right. I don't really want you to see it but I'm afraid you'd never forgive me if I didn't tell you." Gibbs pulled out the evidence bag holding the note they'd found at the crime scene.

Tony read it over and over again before looking up at Gibbs. "This is my fault? They're dead because of me?"

"_Not_ your fault, Tony," Gibbs corrected firmly. "I know you know that."

"I know it," Tony said quietly, "kind of, but this? This makes it hard to believe it." Heather and Cayden had moved to DC to be close to him and Heather had been murdered to hurt him. He was at the center of everything. Take him out of the equation and Heather and Cayden would still be living happy, normal lives in Ohio.

"Do you have any idea who this could be?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, the only people that ever told me they'd be back were criminals I've put away," Tony said, reading through the note again. "I don't get the whole you took my family thing. I don't remember ever taking anyone's family."

"Maybe their family left them when they went to jail and they blame you," Gibbs suggested.

"That would make sense," Tony said. "It's probably someone I put away as a detective in Baltimore. I just worked patrol in Peoria and Philadelphia. Anybody I put away there woulda been out the next day."

"We'll go over all the arrests you made; see who was released recently," Gibbs said. "I want you looking at the video from the front gate when Abby's finished enhancing it."

"Alright."

"Daddy?"

Gibbs smiled at Cayden and nudged Tony when he didn't respond. "Tony?"

"Oh! Daddy! That's me," Tony said, spinning around. "Sorry, buddy. That's gonna take some getting used to. What's up?"

"I think I'm a little bit hungry," Cayden said.

"You and me both," Tony said. "Whose bright idea was it to skip lunch?"

"Where'm I gonna go now?" Cayden asked.

"Where do you wanna go?" Tony asked, completely missing what Cayden was asking. "There's a really good pizza joint up the street. There's a Chinese place not far. We've got burgers, Italian, Mexican, pretty much anything you want."

"Where will I stay now?" Cayden asked.

"Oh," Tony said. "You're gonna stay with Jethro and I. We've got an extra bedroom that'll be perfect for you. We'll get it all fixed up and you'll love it."

"Really?" Cayden asked.

"Really. I can't be a very good dad from far away. Was there somewhere else you wanted to go?"

"No. I was just a little worried."

"Well I'm glad you asked then because I don't want you to have to worry. You leave the worrying to Jethro and I. Deal?"

"Deal," Cayden said. "Are you guys boyfriends?"

"We are. Is that okay?"

Cayden smiled up at them and nodded. He already liked Gibbs from their conversation on the patio and Tony seemed like a prety fun guy, just like his mother had said.

"Any more questions?" Tony asked.

"No, not right now but pizza sounds good."

"Pizza it is!"

* * *

Dinner was eaten while work continued. Cayden discovered he wasn't as hungry as he thought he was but at Gibbs and Tony's prompting, he managed to get almost an entire slice of pizza down. The agents poured over old Baltimore PD files of all the arrests Tony had made during his two years there, eliminating some quickly and stacking others in a pile of possible suspects. Cayden begged and pleaded with both Tony and Gibbs to let him help and they finally acquiesced and let him look at the mugshots of all the men in the possible suspects pile, under Tony's watchful eye.

The elevator dinged behind them and the sounds of large, clompy boots and rattling chains rushed towards the bullpen. "Gibbs," Abby said excitedly, "you're never gonna believe what happened! It was magical. My entire lab was totally in sync!"

"Abs," Gibbs grumbled.

"I pulled some blood off the seat belt and the door of the Jeep," Abby said. "Somebody crawled out of there, _alive_. I was running that while my other computer was enhancing the image from the video at the front gate and both of them finished at the same time! Isn't that cool?"

Cayden stood from his chair, clutching one of the photographs in his stack and just staring.

"Cayden?" Tony asked.

"This is him," Cayden said, the shakiness in his voice matching the trembling in his hands as he held the picture out to Tony. "He d—he—he did it. He—he took my mom and me. It was him."

"Alright, calm down, buddy," Tony said, wrapping his arm protectively around Cayden's waist. He glanced at the mugshot and immediately recognized the man. "Bull Dog Shelton. I busted him for a gang related murder. While he was locked up a rival gang killed his girl. She was seven months pregnant with his kid."

"That who you got, Abs?" Gibbs asked.

"Adam Shelton," Abby said, holding the picture up for Tony to see.

"That's him," Tony confirmed. "He has a tattoo of a bulldog on his shoulder and he always wore wife beaters."

"I guess Bull Dog does sound more macho than Adam," Abby said.

"After Jocelyn, that was his girl, was murdered, he sent me a threatening letter," Tony said. "I didn't even know he was out. How'd he find them? How did he know I had a family and I didn't?"

"He won't be out for long," Gibbs said. "You alright, Cayden?"

Cayden nodded his head, trying to look confident but from the worried expression on Gibbs' face, the man could see right through him. "Is this gonna be a joint investigation with Baltimore now?" he asked. Avoidance was always a good way to escape an unpleasant situation. If he could just refocus the topic he'd be okay.

"Not Baltimore but maybe DC Metro," Tony said. "How'd you know that?"

"I like cop shows, the real ones," Cayden answered. "How come DC Metro?"

"DC Metro because that's where you and your mom were taken from," Tony answered. "The military's not gonna prosecute a civilian who committed a crime against two other civilians. That's for the local courts. Baltimore's old news though because the crime didn't happen there."

"That makes sense," Cayden said. "So what do we do now?"

"Now we find him," Tony answered.

"That's not going to be as easy as we'd originally thought," Balboa said as he walked into the bullpen. "I left a couple MPs to patrol along the Potomac tonight but it's too dark for the divers and they're not holding out much hope of finding him."

"Abby found evidence that he was alive after he went into the water," Gibbs said.

"Maybe he slipped through us and got away," Balboa said. "He had the upper hand. We were looking for a needle in a haystack. I'm sorry, Jethro."

"I'm ordering protection details for you and you," Gibbs said, pointing at Tony and Cayden. "Neither of you are to go anywhere outside this building without an agent. "Let's start digging—family, friends, acquaintances, anyone who might know where Shelton is. He's hurt so let's get his picture to all the hospitals, clinics, vets, any medical facilities in the city and surrounding areas. Same with public transportation; buses, trains, taxis, planes."

"We could put his picture on the news, Boss," Tony suggested. "Might help us put a quick end to this."

Gibbs thought it over for a moment before nodding. "Call public relations. Have them set it up."

Gibbs watched as the bullpen erupted into chaos. Phones were ringing and calls were going out, copies were made, faxes were sent and all of his agents were moving with a sense of urgency. He took his cell phone off his belt and made arrangements for a security detail for Tony and Cayden then called Sportelli at DC Metro and set up a meeting and D'Arcy at Child Protective Services and asked her to stop by.

"Shelli's got us a spot on the 9:00 news," Tony reported.

"Shelton's picture is all over the city," Tim added. "Nobody's reported seeing him yet."

"The only family he has left is a dad in a nursing home in Bethesda and a brother in Reston," Dorneget said, scribbling down both addresses as he spoke.

"Good. D'Arcy and Sportelli are on their way over," Gibbs said. If they were stuck working with Metro, he wanted it to be Sportelli and D'Arcy could help them with custody of Cayden.

"I can't trace his phone," Abby reported, "but that's not surprising considering he took a dip in the Potomac River. He hasn't tried to access his bank account and if he does he'll find it's frozen." She smiled evilly.

"What's that mean?" Cayden asked.

"Means he can't get any money out," Tony answered. "Can you do me a big, big favor?"

Cayden nodded his head eagerly.

"Remember I showed you how to use the copy machine?"

"Yeah."

"Can you make me about ten copies of this please?" Tony handed him a copy of the press release they'd be issuing to the news agencies at the press conference. "Remember my code?"

"I remember," Cayden said.

"Remember what to do if the machine gives you attitude?"

"Smack it! And if that doesn't work kick it."

"But?"

"But don't break it."

"Good boy."

"Teaching him your bad habits already, I see," Tim teased.

"He's a chip off the old block," Gibbs said, watching the little boy fondly. "Know what he said to me when I met him?"

"What?"

"He told me he was gonna be a cop when he grew up but not a Navy one, just a regular one. Does that sound familiar?"

_'Who would wanna be a Navy cop? I'd rather have the plague.' _Tony smiled at the memory of his first case with Gibbs. The fact that his kid had said almost the same thing was beyond funny. "Let's just hope he never gets the plague," he told Gibbs with a wink.

* * *

After a busy evening of interviewing people, putting feelers out and alerting the city, Gibbs sent his team home for the night. He knew he couldn't keep Cayden up all night and with a madman on the loose he didn't want to send him and Tony home without him, even with a protection detail. Besides, his team needed sleep. They'd work better with with a little rest and an opportunity to step away from things.

Cayden joined in Tony's tradition of a late night bowl of cereal while Gibbs watched a rerun of their press conference on the 11:00 news. Both agents were glad they weren't at NCIS sorting through all the crazy callers in search of a reasonable tip. With any luck there would be a few viable leads waiting for them when they arrived the next morning.

After a snack and a little bit of TV, Gibbs and Tony took Cayden upstairs and tucked him into bed. It was late and morning would come early. Tony sat down on the edge of the bed and Gibbs stood behind him with his hands on Tony's shoulders.

"How ya feelin'?" Tony asked.

"Sleepy," Cayden answered. He was feeling and thinking so many different things but he knew bringing them up would result in more tears and he was ashamed of crying in front of his dads, two federal agents.

"Do you want us to stay with you until you fall asleep?" Gibbs asked.

"I think I'll be okay," Cayden said.

"Alright, buddy, if you get scared just remember there are two agents in the front yard and two out back," Tony said. "Nobody's gonna be able to sneak in here and you can always come down the hall to our room for any reason."

"Okay," Cayden said.

"Good night, buddy," Tony said before kissing Cayden's forehead.

Gibbs leaned over and kissed Cayden's temple then pulled the blankets around his shoulders. "See you in the morning, Cayden."

"Good night."

Cayden watched the guys pull his door partially closed as they left. The hall light was turned off and he found himself immersed in the darkness. He rolled onto his side and hugged one of the pillows tightly. He was a little tired but not really ready to fall asleep. Everything was too different. The house smelled different, the sheets felt different, the pillows were fatter, the room was bigger and nobody had turned the ceiling fan on for him. None of his toys were there and his big fluffy Buckeyes blanket was at his house and the worse part of all, his mother wasn't there to kiss him good night. His mother wasn't anywhere anymore. She was gone and in the quiet darkness of the night there was nothing to distract him from that.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"I'd keep your pants on if I were you," Gibbs suggested when he noticed Tony stripping down completely.

"Why?" Tony asked, hesitating momentarily before pulling his pajama pants back up.

"You'll see," Gibbs said.

Tony climbed into bed, turned his bedside lamp off and curled into his lover. "Do you think he's really as okay as he says he is?"

"No," Gibbs answered. "I wasn't after my mom died. Were you?"

"No and we both knew it was coming. We had time to prepare. That kid went through something nobody should ever have to go through."

"I think he's gonna need a lot of love and support," Gibbs said. "What about you? How are you doing with all this?"

"I can't help but feel responsible," Tony answered. "Bull Dog did this to get to me. They're dead because someone wanted to make me suffer."

"I know that you know, somewhere deep inside of you, that this isn't your fault," Gibbs said. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Hold me tighter," Tony requested.

Gibbs tightened his embrace and kissed the top of Tony's head before resting his head against Tony's and closing his eyes.

* * *

Exhausted and still damp, Adam 'Bull Dog' Shelton sat behind an overgrown bush at the end of a familiar street near Monticello Park and watched every car that came and went from the small white house with the dark green shutters carefully. Inside that house laid warmth, food and comfort but he was fairly certain NCIS had learned his name and was out looking for him. The question was had they been able to connect him with little house on Mosby Street. Based on his last hour of surveillance, they hadn't.

Adam stepped out of the shadows and cautiously headed towards the house under the cover of night. There weren't any people out and about and the streets were quiet enough he'd hear anyone trying to get the drop on him. He walked the couple hundred yards without any problem and held his breath as he rang the doorbell.

"Hey, I thought we agreed we weren't gonna meet for awhile."

"Didn't have much choice. You alone?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, come on in."

Twenty four year old Carrie Drew looked down the street both ways before closing the door and locking it. She led Adam into her dining room and made sure her curtains were closed tightly before sitting down at the table across from him.

"I did it," Adam confessed.

"She's dead?" Carrie asked.

"Yeah."

"Why are you all wet?"

"I had to drive the Jeep into the river to escape."

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Carrie asked.

Adam lifted his shirt, revealing the large, angry bruise the steering wheel had left on his chest and the gash in side, courtesy of the broken driver's side window.

"That's going to need stitches," Carrie said, pointing at the gash as she slipped into doctor mode. Technically she wasn't a doctor yet but stitching someone up was one of the first lessons she'd been taught in medical school. She poked around the bruise on his chest, feeling for any broken ribs or protrusions but everything felt normal. "How'd you get here?"

"I floated down the river, hopped out at the marina and walked," Adam answered. "Guess the high school swim team wasn't a total waste after all."

"Do you think Tony's found the body yet?" Carrie asked.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he was in the car chasing me."

"What'd you do to his son?"

"Locked him in a closet; made him watch his mother die." Adam smiled evilly as Carrie helped him get out of his shirt so she could stitch up his side. "Trust me, that boy'll never get over what he saw today and every time DiNozzo looks at him, he'll remember what he used to have."

"Serves him right," Carrie said. "Jocelyn was a wonderful person. She deserved better than what she got. It's Tony's fault she's dead. He should suffer too." Jocelyn was Adam's girlfriend that had been murdered while he was in prison. She was also Carrie's best friend. Adam hadn't been there to protect his girl and both blamed DiNozzo for that. "I got you some money out of the bank. Now I don't have to figure out how to get it to you."

"Sorry about just showing up like this," Adam said. "You're the only one I can trust to fix me up."

"The cops haven't called me or nothing," Carrie said. She laughed as she worked on cleaning out the wound. "They're a bunch of clueless pigs."

"I'm not taking any chances," Adam said. "No way am I going back to prison."

"You still headed for Mexico?"

"I don't know. I gotta wait till the heat dies down and it's safe for me to get outta here."

"Take my car," Carrie offered.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll just use public transit. You need it right now, I don't. Just... stay away from any rivers."

"You're the best."

Carrie patched Adam up, gave him a warm meal and clean, dry clothes before sending him on his way. She was glad he'd stopped by. She'd been worried about him all day. After cleaning up her kitchen, she plopped down on the couch and flipped her TV on for the first time that day. She changed the channel to her favorite late night sitcom and was surprised to see a breaking news report on instead.

"What the?"

She stared at the picture of Adam in the top right hand corner of the screen as she listened to the press conference about what was being described as a brutal, senseless crime. She'd known what Adam was going to do. Hell, they'd planned it together and even though the crime was meant to send a message, she hadn't expected quite so much attention. Worse than that, the person holding the news conference wasn't even DiNozzo. It was some tall, gray haired agent that didn't look like someone that anyone would want to mess with. Did DiNozzo even know what had happened? Had this all been in vain?

"Damn it!"

Panic started setting in as all the ways she could be linked to the crime started playing out in Carrie's mind. She and Adam hadn't been on the best of terms when Jocelyn was still alive but her death had brought them together. There were phone calls and emails, they'd had lunch and dinner together in places that probably had the surveillance footage to prove it and now Adam had her car and there were most likely still traces of his blood in her kitchen. This was not good. She couldn't go to jail.

She chewed on her fingernails while she tried to figure out a way out of this mess. She was smart. She'd graduated high school at the age of sixteen and received her bachelors degree at the age of nineteen. She may not have been very good in social situations but if anyone could think their way out of a mess like this, it was her.

Maybe she'd take a nice hot shower. She always thought better in the shower.

* * *

Cayden laid awake staring at the shadows the streetlights and trees were creating on his walls. It was the middle of the night and he knew he should be sleeping but every time he closed his eyes he saw his mother's blood splattered all over the kitchen of the hotel room. He could hear the sound of her teeth clinking across the kitchen floor and the cabinet door breaking as her head collided with it. He heard her pleading cries and couldn't stop his own tears.

Why hadn't he done something to help her? Why hadn't he at least tried to save her? This was all his fault. He could've saved her so many times. He could've said something to the guard at the gate. He could've run away when the man was carrying his mom into the hotel room. He could've fought back but he did nothing and now his mother was dead.

He wiped angrily at the tears streaming down his face and into his ear, causing even more discomfort. A creak in the house startled him and he froze for a moment, listening for anything that didn't sound right. The house made a lot of noises in the quiet of night and every single one of them made him flinch. What if the bad guy came back to get him? What if one of the noises was him sneaking into the house to steal him away in the middle of the night and Gibbs and Tony didn't know he was gone until the next morning?

Cayden was so exhausted but he was too terrified to even close his eyes.

* * *

Tony was only half asleep when he heard someone moving around in his bedroom. His gun was in the nightstand drawer with the safety on and the two way radio that would connect him to his protection detail was under his pillow. At least he was wearing pajama pants. He didn't want to fight anyone off in the nude.

Just as he was getting ready to make his move, Gibbs' hand came to rest softly on his shoulder. "Easy," the older man said.

"Daddy?" Cayden whispered into the dark.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. How had Gibbs known it was Cayden in the room and how had the man known he was getting ready to attack? "Cayden, buddy, what's wrong? Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't," Cayden whispered. He sniffed his nose, giving both Gibbs and Tony the impression that he'd been crying.

"Come here, man," Tony said, reaching for his son in the dark. "Lie down with us for awhile."

Cayden let Tony pull him into the bed with them and settled in the middle between the two agents. He let out a shuddery breath as some of the fear he'd been feeling all night finally started leaving his body.

"How'd you know, Jethro?" Tony asked, handing one of his pillows to Cayden.

"How'd I know Cayden was in here? I had a daughter. How'd I know what you were planning? You tensed." Gibbs tucked the blankets around Cayden and ran his hand through the boy's hair. "What's keepin' you up, kiddo?"

"I don't know."

"What do you see when you close your eyes?" Tony asked. He reached out and rubbed the child's belly.

"You're safe here, Cayden," Gibbs said.

It didn't take long for Cayden to give in. "Blood," he said. "There's a lot of blood."

Tony raised himself up on his elbow and looked down at his son. "What else?"

"Mom's crying," Cayden said. That really bothered him because moms weren't supposed to cry.

"Did she say anything?" Gibbs asked.

"I think this is all my fault," Cayden said, his voice starting to tremble.

"This isn't your fault, Cayden," Tony said firmly.

Gibbs reached behind Cayden and patted Tony's shoulder, a silent request for him to stand down. He also hoped he wasn't overstepping his bounds. This whole having a kid thing was new for the two of them. "Why do you think it's your fault, Cayden?"

"'cause Mom told the man she didn't wanna be in the kitchen with me anymore," Cayden said. "She was waiting for me to save her and I didn't. I think she was mad at me because I didn't help her."

"Do you wanna know why I think your mom wanted the man to take her away?" Tony asked. He continued rubbing gentle, soothing circles on his son's belly.

"Why?" Cayden asked.

"I think that she didn't want you to have to see her hurting and hear her crying," Tony answered. "I think she was trying to protect you."

"I shoulda saved her," Cayden said. "I was too scared to move though. She's dead because of me."

"She's not dead because of you, buddy. When McGee and Dorneget got to the hotel, the pantry you were in was locked," Gibbs said. "Even if you did move, you were stuck in there but your mommy knew that and all she wanted was for you to be safe. She knows you didn't let her down. She knows you didn't do anything wrong."

"Why did the man do that to her though?"

The words felt like a dagger to Tony's heart. Just like Cayden, he felt responsible. Shelton had murdered Heather and traumatized Cayden because of him but before he could answer his son's question, Gibbs started speaking.

"Bad guys never have a good reason for doing what they do, Cayden. The important thing to remember is this wasn't your fault and it wasn't your mom's fault. This is all the bad guy's fault. He made bad choices and he hurt a lot of people and Tony and I are very sorry you and your mom were some of those people." Part of the statement was more for Tony than Cayden. Gibbs knew he was still beating himself up over what happened too. "Can you try to remember that?"

"Yeah," Cayden sniffled. "I'll try." A big yawn escaped despite how upset he was feeling. The safety Gibbs and Tony offered won out over the fear that his mother didn't love him anymore. He was just too exhausted to fight off sleep any longer.

"You wanna sleep in here with us tonight?" Tony offered.

Cayden yawned again and sank deeper into the comfort of the bed. "Uh-huh," he mumbled.

"Alright," Tony said. "Good night, buddy."

"Night, Cayden," Gibbs said.

They both kissed him on the head and he was sound asleep before their heads hit their pillows.

* * *

Ducky was surprised to see the lights in his autopsy suite on when he stepped off the elevator in the early morning hours. Jimmy rarely beat him to work and with a traumatized child and an upset partner, he doubted it was Gibbs waiting for him. The doors swished opened and he found Tony sitting at his desk, making a chain out of his paperclips.

"I will never understand yours and Mr. Palmer's fascination with my office supplies," Ducky chided good-naturedly.

"Jimmy made a paperclip chain too?" Tony asked.

"No but there's a rubber band ball around here somewhere occupying all my rubber bands," Ducky said. "What can I do for you so early in the morning, Anthony?"

"I don't know," Tony said.

"Is it finding out you had a son or feeling responsible for what happened to him and his mother?" Ducky perched himself on the edge of his desk, next to Tony after hanging his overcoat on the coat rack.

"Both, but mainly the second one," Tony answered. "Jethro keeps telling me it's not my fault and I know he means well. Hell, I know he's right but it feels like I coulda—_shoulda_—done something."

"Such as?"

"I don't know," Tony snapped. "Protected them?"

"How? You didn't even know they existed, my boy. How could you have protected them?"

"How did I not know I had a family?"

"It sounds to me like the boy's mother kept it from you," Ducky answered rationally. "There's no way you could've known."

"Feels like I let them down though. It's like, I'm mad at Heather for keeping my son from me but I'm also devastated she's gone. Now I have this kid who can't stop crying and it's my fault because I got his mother killed and apparently I pissed Shelton off enough that he had to kill Heather in front of the kid to torture him even more. How do I tell him that, Ducky? How do I tell him it's my fault his mom is dead without upsetting him even more?"

"You don't, Anthony, because this isn't your fault. Adam Shelton is responsible for his own actions, not you. This is exactly what he wanted to happen. He wanted you to feel responsible for something you had no control over and spend the rest of your days beating yourself up over it. Don't let it eat away at you. Don't let him win."

"How?"

"Grieve," Ducky said. "Mourn Heather's loss, be angry with her if you need to and then let her go. Build a relationship with your son and live your life."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It isn't easy but you have a good support system and a lover that knows exactly what you're going through. Just remember, he lost someone he couldn't save too. Two someones actually. Listen to him. Let him in. Don't close yourself off."

* * *

Gibbs wasn't sure where Tony had snuck off to when they got to NCIS but he was starting to worry. Cayden was settled in Abby's lab so they could talk about the case without little ears hearing something they shouldn't but his SFA was MIA and not answering his phone.

"Alright, what do we have?" he finally asked. Tony would just have to play catch up whenever he decided to show up.

"The night shift's been weeding through tips ever since the press conference aired," Dorneget informed Gibbs.

"So far these two look the most promising," Tim said, handing Gibbs two reports. "Also, Shelton's parole officer finally called back. He'll be here between 8:15 and 8:30."

"Good," Gibbs said. "What're the tips?"

"A used car salesman sold a pick-up truck to a guy fitting Shelton's description yesterday afternoon," Tim reported. "The guy paid cash but had to give his name for the title transfer. Abby's running the name he gave and running facial rec on the surveillance footage the car salesman sent her."

"Good," Gibbs said. "What else?"

"A night maintenance worker found a wet, bloody hoodie in a trashcan in Anacostia Park last night," Dorneget said. "Thought it might belong to our suspect so he called us. Abby's running the blood to see if it matches what was on the Jeep. Could prove Shelton made it out of the river and slipped through our fingers."

Tony walked into the bullpen and without a word wrapped his arms around Gibbs. "I love you so much, Jethro," he said softly. "Thanks for always being there for me."

Gibbs pulled back slightly and looked at Tony with one of his endearing half smiles. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tony said. "I just love you, that's all."

"I love you too, Tony, but you're in the doghouse. You went MIA and you didn't answer your phone when I called."

"I'm already banned from being in the field," Tony reasoned. "Not sure how much of a punishment being in the doghouse is gonna be."

"You know better than to push me," Gibbs warned lightly.

"Good point."

Gibbs chucked Tony on the chin and offered him a genuine smile before putting his agents back to work.

* * *

Carrie Drew thanked her cab driver as she handed him a wad of money to pay her fare. After sitting up all night thinking, she'd finally come up with a plan. She was going to play the victim—tell the NCIS agents all about how Adam had showed up at her house the previous evening and demanded she patch him up before stealing her car. If she waited for them to find her there would be no way to explain away her involvement but if she went to them as another one of Adam's victims and only gave them part of the story, she'd be free and clear.

Showing up at their office would keep them from visiting her house to follow up on her tip. It would also give her an opportunity to nose around and find out if DiNozzo knew what they'd done for him.

Her escort took her on a short elevator ride to a busy office. When she stepped out she saw the man from the news conference. She also saw Tony. Maybe he was working the case after all. At the very least he had to have known what happened to Heather. That made Carrie feel a little better.

"Agent Gibbs, you have a visitor."

"Thanks, Pete," Gibbs said. He stood, walked over and extended his hand the young woman. "Special Agent Gibbs."

"I'm Carrie Drew. I have some information about Adam Shelton."

"I know you," Tony said. "You used to live in Baltimore."

"Yeah, that's me," Carrie said. "I remember you too, Agent DiNozzo." She made her voice shake, hoping to come across as a frightened victim.

"We can talk in the conference room," Gibbs said. "McGee, get her settled. I'll be in in a minute."

"Right away, Boss."

Gibbs waited until Tim and Carrie were out of earshot before leaning over Tony's desk, waiting for an explanation.

"Remember I told you Shelton's pregnant girlfriend was murdered after I put him in jail?" Tony asked. He waited for Gibbs' slight nod before continuing. "Carrie was Jocelyn's best friend but she and Shelton didn't get along at all. Everybody I talked to talked about their fights. She even went so far as to accuse of Shelton of hiring someone to off Jocelyn. This could be a legitimate visit or she could be grasping at straws trying to set him up for something else."

Gibbs nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "I want you watching out here. Pull up the feed on your computer."

"Gut tellin' you something?" Tony asked watching Gibbs' facial expression change as he processed what he was being told.

"It's no coincidence that she showed up here now." She may have legitimate information about their suspect but if she hated him as much as Tony said she did, they would have check out whatever information she gave them very carefully.

"Sure you don't want me in there with you?" Tony asked.

"You're sittin' this one out, Tony," Gibbs reminded him. "You're a witness."

"Right. Witness. That's like the kiss of death. I feel so damn useless."

"You're not useless, Tony," Gibbs said. "You just don't get to go beat down doors and drag the bad guys out by their ears on this one."

* * *

Tim had just finished brewing a fresh pot of coffee in the conference room when Gibbs walked in. He handed Carrie a cup then poured one for himself. Gibbs was still working on the cup he'd brought back with him after finishing up at the crime scene. The two agents sat down across from Carrie and Tim pulled a pen and notepad out of his inner jacket pocket to take notes.

"Whenever you're ready," Gibbs said with a friendly smile.

"Adam came to my house last night," Carrie said. "He was hurt. He—he demanded I stitch him up and then he stole my car."

"What time was this?" Tim asked.

"I think it was about 10:00, maybe 10:30. I don't remember exactly."

"Did you call the police?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Carrie said. "He told me not to. He said he'd kill me if I did."

"Are you a doctor? Nurse?" Tim asked.

"Doctor," Carrie said. "Actually I'm still in school but it won't be long. He had a nasty gash on his side that I stitched up. He also had a large contusion on his chest; looked like he'd hit the steering wheel of a car."

"Did he say where he was going?" Gibbs asked.

"No and I was too scared to ask."

"Did he have a weapon?"

"I don't know. I didn't see one but that doesn't mean he didn't have one."

"What time did he leave?"

"Maybe around 11:00."

"And you waited over twelve hours to tell anyone?" Gibbs asked. He kept his tone curious, not threatening.

"I was scared!" Carrie said. She conjured up some tears and let a few slide down her cheeks for effect. "He said he would kill me and I believed him. Adam's the kind of guy not even the police can protect you from and he never forgets about anyone who crosses him."

"You and Adam know each other, correct?" Gibbs asked.

"Adam was dating my best friend," Carried replied. "I begged her to break it off. She deserved better but she refused to leave him. Now she's dead. I've never liked him and he knows it."

"Why would he come to you for help last night?"

"Because I'm a doctor," Carrie said. "He probably figured he could bully me into silence. It almost worked."

Tim flipped to a fresh sheet of paper in his notepad and slid it along with his pen across the table. "Can you please write the year, make and model of your car down for us, as well as the license plate number, if you know it."

"Sure."

After making sure they had all the information they needed and a way to contact Carrie later on if they needed to, Gibbs had an agent escort her down to the lobby while he and Tim returned to the bullpen. Tony was reclined in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk, staring intently at the ceiling.

"What'd you think?" Gibbs asked.

"Seemed believable," Tony replied. "She wasn't desperately trying to convince us of anything outrageous."

"But?"

"I don't know," Tony said. "Can't put my finger on it but something about the whole thing seemed off."

"I agree," Gibbs said. "McGee—"

"Put a BOLO out on the car," Tim said. "Already on it, Boss."

"Dorneget?"

"Both of our leads from this morning turned out to be busts," Dorneget said. "It wasn't Shelton that bought the car and the blood on the sweatshirt was female and most likely the result of a bloody nose."

"Boss!" Tim said excitedly. "Carrie's car has LoJack. It's parked in an abandoned restaurant parking lot in Silver Spring."

"Grab your gear, boys," Gibbs said, already strapping his weapon to his side.

"Boss?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Stay," Gibbs said firmly.

Tony narrowed his eyes into a glare and crossed his arms in front of his chest while he watched his team get ready to go without him. This case was a nightmare in more ways than one. Speaking of nightmares, he wondered how his son was doing. The boy had had a rough night, even after he'd crawled in bed with them.

After Gibbs, Tim and Dorneget left, he headed for Abby's lab, taking a detour to the break room for some chocolate milk and a Caf-Pow. He paused just outside the door of Abby's lab and watched. The two were looking at something under the microscope and whatever it was had them both excited.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked as he entered.

"Daddy, you have to see this!" Cayden said. He grabbed onto Tony's hand and dragged him over to the microscope. "What do you think it is?"

Tony handed the Caf-Pow to Abby and the milk to his son before bending over and looking into the microscope. He'd seen Abby's slides several times but he played along. "Whatever it is, it's pretty cool," he said. "What is it?"

"It's sand!" Cayden said. "It looks like tiny sea shells and pieces of octopus and starfish and some other sea animals."

"Way cool!" Tony agreed.

"We also looked at chalk and blood and snowflakes and hair and a butterfly tongue and a piece of floss after I flossed my teeth and some other stuff I can't even remember right now but it was all awesome."

"Well, you two have been busy," Tony said. "Is it safe to assume a microscope is going to show up on your Christmas list?"

"Abby's gonna let me borrow hers."

"Abby's cool like that. She loves to share."

"Why don't you look at this one, Cayden," Abby said, handing him another slide. "It's part of a banana."

Cayden took the slide and immediately got to work setting it up.

"I got the DNA results back," Abby said. "He is yours."

"I kinda already knew," Tony said. "He had a picture of his mother and I. I guess Heather gave it to him so he'd know what I looked like. She also left me a note."

"He's a cool kid. How's he doing? How are you doing?"

"Cayden's doing his best to avoid thinking about what happened and trying not to blame himself and I'm suffering through desk duty, trying not to blame myself."

"Aww, you guys."

"We'll be okay," Tony assured her. "It's just gonna take time."

"Daddy, come look!" Cayden said. "It looks like an alien spaceship sucking something up."

"Alien spaceship? I thought Abby gave you a banana."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Abby said.

"Yeah, what else you got?" Cayden asked.

* * *

Gibbs raced towards their suspect's location while Tim kept track of the car and made sure it didn't move. Hopefully Shelton hadn't ditched the car and run off. With his name and picture all over the DC Metro area, he didn't have many options but if the timeline Carrie had given them was right, he'd been on the run for fourteen hours. The fact that he'd only made it to Silver Spring, Maryland was troubling.

"It's 200 yards ahead on your right, Boss," Tim reported. "He hasn't moved."

The parking lot wasn't very big and it was tucked away behind a strip mall. The overgrown trees and weeds as big as bushes growing up through the cracks in the pavement told the agents that it wasn't anywhere anyone would just find themselves. No one was visible inside the car so Gibbs pulled up right in front of it. The last thing he wanted was to end up in another high speed chase.

Gibbs, Tim and Dorneget exited the sedan silently, on high alert with their weapons drawn. They approached from both sides of the car and found Shelton sound asleep in the backseat. Gibbs tapped the window with his gun to wake their suspect.

Shelton popped up and looked from Gibbs on one side of the car to Tim and Dorneget on the other. There was no way he could run. His eyes wandered to the keys hanging out of the ignition and he decided that was his only way out. Best case scenario, he'd get away again. Worst case, they'd shoot him. Regardless of what happened, he wouldn't end up in jail. There was no way he was going back to that horrible place.

He sat up and raised his hands like he was going to surrender then threw himself towards the driver's seat, grabbing for the keys as he went. The sound of shattering glass was the last thing he heard before a jolt of electricity rendered him helpless.

Gibbs reached through the broken safety glass and unlocked the door. When Shelton's body stopped convulsing, he reached in and pulled the man out. As soon as Shelton was out of the car he started fighting again but another zap of the taser had him convulsing helplessly on the ground.

"You gonna put your hands behind your back or would you like another jolt of electricity?" Gibbs asked.

Shelton groaned as he pulled his arms out from under him. "I'm gonna sue your ass so hard," he threatened. "Just you wait."

"We're shaking in our boots," Tim replied sarcastically as he helped Gibbs stand the man up.

"Adam Shelton, you're under arrest." Gibbs read him his rights as he and Tim escorted him to the car. Shelton tried to struggle against the cuffs and the hands holding onto him but the agents just tightened their grips and raised his arms up in the air, forcing him to walk hunched over.

So much for his escape or die mentality. Damn taser.

* * *

Adam Shelton sat in the interrogation room, angry about letting his guard down and letting himself get caught. How had they known what car he was driving and how had they found him in that parking lot so quickly? Maybe one of the gang bangers dealing drugs out of there had turned him in.

He should've just headed south when he left Carrie's house. He'd been worried about road blocks and increased patrol cars on the road looking for him but apparently hiding out in town hadn't been a good idea either. He was getting even more agitated waiting for someone to come in and talk to him. They could've at least taken the handcuffs off.

"Finally!" he said when the door opened and Gibbs walked in. "What am I being charged with?"

"The kidnapping of Heather and Cayden McHale, the murder of Heather McHale, reckless driving, evading arrest, possession of a stolen car—"

"Wait, stolen?" Shelton asked, honestly shocked. "That car wasn't stolen."

"Is it yours?"

"No but I swear I didn't steal it."

"Yeah, right. The gig is up, Shelton. You're busted."

"I get that, trust me, but I'm telling you guys—that car was not stolen! It belongs to Carrie Drew. I went to see her last night. She invited me in, patched me up and told me to take her car."

"You and Carrie didn't get along," Gibbs said.

"You're right, we didn't," Shelton confirmed. "_Until _Jocelyn died. Our mutual hatred for DiNozzo brought us together. Murdering Heather to get back at him was partly her idea."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and waited for Shelton to continue.

"She's in med school. She told me exactly how to torture Heather in a way that would keep her alive for as long as possible. I was just gonna pop the bitch. Torturing her was Carrie's idea. She wanted Heather's death to haunt DiNozzo for a long, long time."

"Why should I believe you?" Gibbs asked. Just about every criminal that came through the interrogation room tried to drag someone else into their scheme to lessen the blow on themselves. If Shelton was telling the truth it'd be nice if could prove it.

"Grinders," Shelton said. "It's a bar in Arlington. Carrie and I met for drinks every Tuesday night. Somebody had to have seen us. Why would she meet me for drinks every week for months if she hated me? Why did I brutally murder Heather and not lay a finger on Carrie when I knew she could lead you guys right to me? I'm not stupid."

Gibbs remained silent, the disbelief still in his eyes. It was enough to pique his interest but he hadn't heard any ironclad proof yet.

"If you take the death penalty off the table, I'll serve her up on a silver platter," Shelton said.

"Does that mean you're gonna plead guilty?" Gibbs didn't bother telling Shelton that Washington DC hadn't had the death penalty since '81. So much for him not being stupid.

"Yeah. I told you I'm not stupid. I know I'm going to jail. This is my best hope of staying alive."

"Done," Gibbs said.

"Bank of America on Pennsylvania Avenue. I have a safety deposit box there. Carrie wrote out in great detail exactly what she wanted me to do to Heather. She also gave me a memory stick that had diagrams on it."

"Sit tight," Gibbs said.

* * *

It didn't take long for Gibbs to get a warrant allowing him to get into Shelton's safety deposit box. As promised there were handwritten documents detailing the torturous end of Heather's life. Abby compared the handwriting on the documents to the piece of paper Carrie had written down the details about her car and her contact info on and found they matched. She also determined the documents weren't written under duress. Based on the handwriting, Carrie had been excited when she wrote out the details of torturing someone to death.

The memory stick was more of the same. There were documents mapping out the detailed instructions. Even more interesting to the agents, some of the diagrams on the memory stick were almost a month old. It appeared their suspects had been planning the crime since shortly after Heather and Cayden had arrived in DC.

"Dorney and I can go pick her up, Boss," Tim offered.

"Nah," Gibbs said, "she's gonna come to us." He smiled as he picked up Abby's phone and dialed Carrie's number. After a quick conversation informing her they'd recovered her car and a lie about needing her to come in and confirm it was the right one, he hung up and smiled. "She'll be right over."

"She's really clueless," Abby said with a shake of her head.

"Makes our job easier," Dorneget pointed out.

"You two get Sportelli in here," Gibbs said. "It's about time to hand this off to him."

Gibbs left Abby's lab and returned to the squad room to find Tony pushing Cayden around in his desk chair, introducing him to some of the other agents. As soon as Tony saw him, he pushed the chair back to the bullpen.

"I think I'm gonna take Cayden home, Jethro," he said. "He's bored here and I'm feeling useless. Shelton's in custody so there's no reason for us to hang around here any longer."

"Hold on," Gibbs said. "There's someone else we need to pick up first."

"Someone else?" Tony asked.

"That's what I said," Gibbs replied. "She's on her way in now. I'm not taking any chances."

"She wouldn't be the same someone who was here earlier this afternoon, would she?" Tony asked.

"One and the same."

"Will you teach me to talk in code too, Daddy?" Cayden asked.

"Sure, kiddo," Tony answered. "You and I can make up our own code."

"Are you both my daddies now?" Cayden asked, leaning his elbows on Gibbs' desk.

"Yeah," Tony answered, looking to Gibbs for confirmation, "we are."

"I went from having no daddy to having two!" Cayden said happily. "'cept now I don't have a mom."

Tony rested his hand on Cayden's head. "Your mom'll always be in your heart, buddy," he said. "Nobody can steal the memories you have of her."

"I wish I could just hug her one more time and tell her that I'm gonna be okay 'cause I found you now. I wish she didn't have to die."

"I know, buddy, and I'm sorry. I wish I could fix that."

Gibbs reached out and brushed his thumb lovingly across the boy's cheek. "You know you can always talk to Tony and I about how you're feeling, right? We'll help you remember your mom."

Cayden smiled and nodded.

"Alright," Gibbs stood and came around to the front of his desk. "It's time for you two to skedaddle," he said. He pressed a quick kiss to Tony's lips then leaned over and kissed Cayden's cheek. "I'll come find you when I'm done. Shouldn't be long." He didn't want either of them anywhere near Shelton or Carrie Drew.

"How about we go find some popcorn and lay on the couches in the break room and watch TV?" Tony suggested. He could tell Cayden was getting tired and he was too after spending much of the previous night up worrying and taking care of Cayden.

"Where are we gonna find popcorn around here?" Cayden asked. "Is there a store in here?"

"There's a gift shop but I know a certain forensic scientist who has a secret stash of popcorn. I bet we could sweet talk her out of a bag."

"Abby?"

"Yep! Do you know how to bat your eyelashes? Women go crazy over stuff like that."

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Gibbs walked into the break room and found Cayden tucked right up against Tony, sound asleep with his mouth hanging wide open. Tony was awake but only barely.

"He's exhausted," Tony said quietly.

Gibbs leaned down and kissed his lover before sitting on the arm of the couch next to him. "So are you."

"I'm okay. Is it over?"

"It's over. Metro just took 'em. Shelton has a plea deal in place that'll keep him in jail for the rest of his life so Cayden won't have to testify. Carrie's not wanting to give anything up but between the evidence we have and Shelton's testimony she'll be going away too."

"Good," Tony said. "I'm ready to put this behind us."

"Not gonna be easy," Gibbs said.

"I know, but now that the case is over we can start working through this and focus on the healing part of it."

"I was thinking," Gibbs said, "why don't we put in for some of our vacation time? We can pull him from school for a couple weeks and get the hell outta here, just the three of us."

"Just the three of us," Tony repeated, "I like the sound of that."

Cayden yawned, reached over and rested his hand on Gibbs' leg. "Me too."

**End.**


End file.
